The Final Countdown

Dear Internet,

With three weeks left to go, the countdown has begun. The time for last minute sightseeing and present shopping for family and friends is upon us. And to top it all off, I have finals. Yes friends, this is the week I have been dreading. We tried to fit everything in while still writing papers and studying, which became a bit of a circus act. Priorities change when you’re in a place like London! Go to a West End show or write a paper? Some of my favorite days were these last few weeks. Part of the enjoyment was just being together as a group. London is so much more fun with friends or family to run around with you. Here’s a little bit of what we did:

-       Buckingham Palace: Tried to see the changing of the guards but missed it by THAT much. Good news was it was sunny outside, a rarity this past winter!

Catching rare rays of sunshine outside Buckingham Palace

-       Abbey Road: After running all over the place trying to find “the” spot, we finally found it. The trip itself was a doosy. We tagged our names on a graffiti wall, were asked if we were selling drugs, and almost got run over by very impatient drivers.

Leaving our mark at Abbey Road

-        Tate Modern: Sister museum of the Tate Britain. Set in an old factory along the Thames, it holds a lot of modern art, as you would guess by its name.

-       Kew Gardens: One of the world’s best botanical gardens! It was a beautiful sunny day with greenery and hot houses full of tropical plants. I may or may not have modeled among the daffodils for my newly made friend who worked for the newspaper with Meredith.

My native California Redwoods in England!

In the tropical hot house at Kew Gardens

-       Platform 9 ¾ : Touristy, but had to be done.

So long! Off to Hogwarts

-       The Orangery: Afternoon tea. A must!

My treats for the day: Lemon and Ginger tea with Chocolate Bread and Butter pudding

Some of my favorite people in the whole world!

-       Once: A new musical here on the West End that has received nothing but rave reviews. We went to a matinee and I was blown away. Probably one of my favorite musicals EVER. You could go up onstage before the performance and hang out with the actors (who also provided the musical accompaniment) as they played some Irish folk music before the show started. And the storyline was amazing to boot.

Making my West End debut haha

-       Phantom: Following my West End trend, I checked into my favorite show one last time before leaving and found out an actor I’ve been dying to see was playing the Phantom. He was brilliant!

And what would be our last week without hitting our favorite markets?

-       Camden Market: The urban eclectics of London come together here for an amazing mix of knockoff t-shirts, spray-paint tattoos, and deep fried candy bars. Despite the snow and shady guys trying to convince you to go back to Nepal with them, it’s a lot of fun.

Deep fried candy bar.

-       Portobello Road: What’s London without Portobello?! You can find everything here. We lived right down the street from it so we’d go every week trying to find something awesome. Treasures include turquoise rings, silver platters, vintage footballs, first edition Alice in Wonderland books, and lots of sprinkle donuts.

-       Borough Market: My personal favorite of all the markets. Being a foodie (a gift and a curse), I’m drawn to the fresh produce, cheese, prosciutto, truffles, exotic meats, homemade chutneys and jellies, and of course THE LUNCH MENU. Vendors line a certain section cooking everything from Thai food to pasties. Pie Minster was always a favorite among my friends, and one of my professors loved the hot lamb sandwiches right by the entrance. My favorite? Boston Sausage Company. Their ‘M’ Burger is celestial. I dream of that burger.

The best thing in the whole wide world ever. Ever. EVER.

The rest of our days were spent typing off essays and journals for finals. It took a while, but it’s safe to say I did well this semester…I hope! I couldn’t have asked for a better last few days in London. We got to experience the best and sometimes brightest (in reference to the weather), which was the perfect send off.  Our last and final week of England will be spent travelling around Western England to places like Exeter, Tintagel, and Salisbury. It’s a week of long coach rides and hostels. Wish me luck.

Love,

Courtney